‘How to be cryptic in a foreign language ...’

LESSON 17 in ‘How to solve cryptic crosswords’

Sometimes the cryptic clue compiler will expect you to have a smattering of a foreign language or two within your vocabulary.

The most commonly-used foreign language is French (probably because the combination of LE is so useful in creating English words). If, for example, a clue contains ... the French ..., it generally means that you should include LE in the answer, because LE means the in French.

Listings of the most regularly used French German, Italian and Spanish words are included within the Chandler Cryptic Clue Solver. Also included, is the Greek alphabet. The names of these Greek letters are sometimes clued as a Greek character.